Honey, if you love me
by Funky Norwegian Bunny Friend
Summary: (Answer to fic challenge/Fling) Hogwarts is playing "Honey if you love me"
1. Crash and Burn

-(ANSWER TO CHALLENGE BY ANONYMOUS REVIEWER)-  
  
Chapter One: Crash and Burn  
  
Hogwarts was in a whirl.  
  
Muggle Studies had set up a new project, an extra-curricular, point- awarding game, which caught the student's interests right away.  
  
Soon the whole school was involved.  
  
Gossip never seemed so universally. Trifle news about who had asked whom was practically everywhere, and the Professors were going slowly mad.  
  
Filch had trouble breathing (allergic to happy students), McGonagall was in a foul mood ("CONSENTRATE YOU FOOLS!"), and Gammond had deducted no less than 458 points the last week for the sole mistake of gibbering about the game.  
  
*  
  
Florence Watters from Hufflepuff ran through the third floor corridors in search for her victim.  
  
She caught sight of him as he sauntered out from DADA class, with his friends right in front of him. She waited for them to pass.  
  
"Remus?" she called.  
  
He turned around, looking surprised to see her.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Er. I was just thinking that, if you, if you want to that is.. I was wondering if you could.. smile.. for me? I mean, if you like me or ... If you don't then just.. I'll just."  
  
Remus was caught completely off guard. Of course he knew about this game of dare, but he hadn't thought some pretty, shy Hufflepuff would ask him to smile.  
  
He frowned shortly, and looked down at his shoes and swallowed hard.  
  
Florence thought he looked very contemplative, and she feared rejection coming any second now.  
  
Remus looked up and his serious amber eyes held her gaze.  
  
He smiled very shyly. Then he shoved his hands into his pockets and chuckled nervously.  
  
Florence bit her lip. "Really?" she asked stupidly.  
  
He nodded. "Thanks", she said softly, before looking over at his dumbfounded friends, who were gaping quite rudely at Remus.  
  
She hesitated, and then smiled warmly at him again before turning around and walking towards Hufflepuff Tower.  
  
Remus stood there, hands in his pockets, slowly burning a deep red on his complexion. His neck never looked so tan.  
  
He chanced a look at his friends, and found James with his arms across his chest looking very pleased with himself.  
  
James smirked and said: "About bloody time you smiled. That Ravenclaw fourth year almost cried, you know."  
  
Sirius rounded him from the other side.  
  
"So. " He lifted his head stiffly. "Florence now, is it? What happened to Miss Merryweather, might I ask?"  
  
Remus looked down again, and Lily noticed his blush peeping out on his hands.  
  
He mumbled.  
  
"Sorry Moony, didn't catch that?" Peter prompted.  
  
"I said, I was going to ask her."  
  
"I think that's a great idea Remus." Lily said, shooting a glare at her boyfriend, and an evil look at Sirius so as to put an end to this conversation. Remus had enough problems already if the lads weren't teasing him about some girl he'd been moping over for a couple of years.  
  
"I heard they're having rice pudding at dinner tonight. Care to join me?" She asked Remus, and he smiled very gratefully when she offered him her arm.  
  
*  
  
Remus let out a huge sigh of relief, and smiled widely while he meandered into the Common Room later that evening.  
  
Evelyn Merryweather had smiled at him.  
  
In fact, she hadn't just smiled; she'd given him a kiss as well.  
  
"On the lips", he thought, swollen with pride.  
  
He had been stumbling across his words, when she had stared at him wide- eyed, realizing what he was asking her.  
  
He was trying to get the words out properly, but he couldn't bring himself to be so straightforward as Lily had coached him in.  
  
But when she kissed him, he guessed that being a bit reclusive wasn't so bad after all.  
  
When she opened her eyes again, she said very clearly, almost as if reciting poetry: "Dear, you know I love you, and only you can make me smile."  
  
Only a Ravenclaw would keep to the rules so strictly, and only Evelyn would blush so hard after.  
  
She had looked into his eyes, reddening further down her neck, and then leaning her head against his shoulder.  
  
Murmuring in her ear, holding her close, smelling her hair, Gryffindor Tower was the furthest thing from his mind.  
  
Such a pity Mrs. Norris didn't approve. At least she'd meowed and given them a fair warning. He didn't like hasty farewells.  
  
*  
  
Sirius was sniggering to himself.  
  
Lying on the bed, looking at the canopy, but not really seeing it, he thought of what his friends' reactions might be.  
  
Lily would laugh. And giggle that sexy, feminine way, that laugh so few of Hogwarts' femme fatales mastered.  
  
Peter would snort and hit his knees in-between cackles.  
  
Remus would. grin dryly, and lift his eyebrows in that very intelligent manner. Sirius never understood how he did that.  
  
James, on the other hand was the mystery reaction.  
  
Well, you never know unless you try it.  
  
He leaped out of bed, and flew down the staircase.  
  
He jumped high over the low table beneath the painting of a green rose, skipped three steps across the shaggy carpet between an armchair and a foot- rest, leaped over the foot-rest and ran across the room towards the fireplace where his friends were sitting doing their History Essay ("Point out the major victories of the Dwarf-troopers in the 7th century").  
  
He caught his breath.  
  
Lily looked up questioningly, feather held up by her hand in an inquiring manner.  
  
Nerve-wrecking really.  
  
Sirius hated to hesitate, but there he was, wavering over Peter's chair. Remus raised an eyebrow, and Peter was trying to peek at Lily's essay while she was busy looking at Sirius.  
  
James didn't look up though.  
  
Naturally, since he was the one Sirius wanted to talk to.  
  
He coughed subtlety. James put his quill in the ink bottle and stretched languidly over the sofa. Finally he looked up.  
  
Sirius regained his composure, and found the ironic grin again.  
  
That made things a lot easier. Especially since the whole Common Room was straining to see what was going on. Sirius was never this quiet. In public.  
  
"So, James. I have been meaning to ask you something." Sirius said vaguely.  
  
James wasn't the least suspicious. Yet. But he did look annoyed when he didn't continue.  
  
So he started again. Now grinning pretty madly.  
  
"James, honey, if you love me, will you please, please smile?"  
  
The room was eerily quiet for about two nanoseconds, before it erupted with laughter.  
  
When Sirius winked conspiratorially, James was already howling. Soon he was chortling over Lily's lap, looking as if he had trouble breathing.  
  
Lily was still smirking.  
  
Sirius folded his arms across his chess and gave James a superior, arrogant look.  
  
"You smiled. Now say the magic words, I have fulfilled my destiny, and after I hear you say you love me back, I will diminish and go into the Forest."  
  
James was still wiping tears from his face in Lily's arms, but he managed to choke out hoarsely: "You know I love you, and only you can make me smile."  
  
Then he started laughing again, and Lily rolled her eyes.  
  
"Fabulous!" Sirius smiled, and crashed into the nearest couch looking too aloof for having just caused so many tears (of laughter).  
  
*  
  
A/N: Next chapter: James' turn! Read and review!  
  
If you haven't gotten the gist of it yet, the rules are:  
  
Person "It" has to tag another person by asking him/her to smile if they love them.  
  
If they answer: "You know I love you, only you can make me laugh/smile" they're "It" and have to ask another person.  
  
If they answer: "You know I love you, but I just can't smile!" the "it"- person has to ask someone else.  
  
Disclaimer: J.K Rowling owns the wizarding universe, and recognizable charcters, others are figment of MY imagination, and other stupid awkward moments belong to me. I think this is supposed to be funny, by the way. 


	2. Dauntless Courage

Chapter Two: Dauntless Courage  
  
James paced nervously around the Owlery.  
  
Remus leaned against the window with Dame the Screech Owl on his arm.  
  
"Really, Prongs, it's not THAT complicated. Just ask her for Merlin's sake!"  
  
James grimaced.  
  
"But I want it to be grand, like special or something." He hesitated, before letting out a deep exasperated noise.  
  
"Oh, get off you high horse. She loves you already, there's no need to impress her anymore. Don't stress so much."  
  
"But I WANT to impress her, as cliché as it might be, I want to sweep her off her feet. She can have any lad she fancies, so I need to keep handing her reasons she should be with me."  
  
"Did you not hear what I said? She's far beyond the stars in love with you, it doesn't matter how you do it, as long as you actually do it. If you pull a stunt similar to Sirius', she might be a bit offended, and yet she would STILL fancy your pants off. Speaking of taking your pants off, by the way, has she actually done so?" Remus asked plucking a feather off his cloak.  
  
He seemed disinterested, but when he looked James in the eye, Remus couldn't help but wiggle his eyebrows in an implying manner.  
  
James blushed hard. Real hard.  
  
Then he rubbed his neck shyly, and looked out the window without answering.  
  
He could get in real trouble for this.  
  
Personal matters with Lily were very sacred.  
  
"Really? You finally got some. Sirius would be proud. Don't worry, I won't tell him. Honestly though, James, that's great to hear, you obviously care for her a lot then."  
  
James finally looked up, and his blush wasn't so deep anymore.  
  
He looked worried though.  
  
"It's not about caring anymore, Moony. I think I really love her. I mean." he looked around the Owlery to make sure they were alone.  
  
"I mean, I can't imagine my life without her anymore. And it's not scaring me either. If you know what I'm saying. I'd go mad if I couldn't be near her the rest of my life."  
  
Remus squeezed his shoulder.  
  
"Yeah, I know what you're saying. But does Lily know?"  
  
*  
  
Lily scanned her eyes across the bookshelves of the Library in search for some research material.  
  
The dusty bindings were whispering quietly to her, urging her to read them, begging her to choose that particular one before curfew.  
  
She shivered. The study section of the Library was warm and cosy, and the candles flickered friendly in the evenings. But the books themselves got to her nerves when the clock ticked nearer midnight.  
  
Then they started whispering and she could almost feel their 'eyes' as she wandered down the D-aisle.  
  
A shadow swept over her, and she jumped around to see who (or WHAT!?) was there.  
  
Nothing.  
  
The Nothing finally upset her so much she decided to drop her quest for a book, and she turned to get back to her study table.  
  
She smoothed out her parchment, and grabbed a strand of hair and started twisting it around her finger.  
  
Proof-reading your own essay always seemed so futile, eventually you were just blinded of your own mistakes so it didn't matter how many times you read it, you still wouldn't find an error, but Lily was a perfectionist and proof-reading an old habit.  
  
*  
  
James looked at her hair shimmering in the candlelight, and he leaned silently against the shadowed bookshelf with contentment.  
  
"My girlfriend is Lily Evans, and she's the most beautiful creature in the world." He thought to himself.  
  
What a way to boost your self-esteem!  
  
He smiled lovingly again, and pushed his hands in his pockets.  
  
After staring a few seconds more, he wandered over to her.  
  
" 'Lo, Lily." He said softly, bringing his hand up to his neck again.  
  
She looked up, but not so startled as she had been when she almost caught him lurking in the shadows.  
  
"James", she smiled.  
  
He still couldn't help grin foolishly at her smiles, and he cursed his nervous trait of rubbing his neck, as Lily knew him so well by now. Very well. (Pun intended)  
  
"Is something wrong, James?"  
  
"Er, NO! I mean, I just wanted to be with you. That's all." She didn't object to that, although he knew she wasn't fooled.  
  
"Come sit with me then."  
  
He sat down next to her, where her hand had patted the oak bench.  
  
She turned her body towards him, silently giving him her full attention.  
  
She looked expectant, and he struggled a bit when he stared at her searching eyes.  
  
He took her hand. And placed both of his hands around hers.  
  
She still hadn't broken eye contact, but when his lips kissed her on the side of her mouth, she closed them.  
  
It was only a mere caress, but Lily sighed happily anyway.  
  
"I needed that", she said smiling, with her eyes still closed. He took a deep breath.  
  
"Lily. I just wanted to, say, that, I love you. I just wanted you to know, you know, for sure."  
  
Lily's eyes opened and she looked at his face. First his eyes, then his nose and cheek, his ears, those few strands of hair across his left eyebrow, his mouth. And his eyes again.  
  
"I know", she whispered.  
  
"You do?" he asked stupidly. Then he regained his composure.  
  
He slid closer to her. Cupped her face. Lily thought he was going to kiss her properly this time, but when he started talking she wasn't disappointed though.  
  
"No, you don't know. Not really. Lily, I'm trying to tell you how much I care for you. This isn't hard, it's just that I don't know how to do this properly. Charmingly, I guess would be the proper term for how I'm trying to do this. Unforgettable even" he continued babbling.  
  
Lily knew she shouldn't interrupt him, and she tried to look encouraging, but she was so happy she was about to sing.  
  
"Lily, I love you more than I have or ever will love anyone else, and I thought you might want to know that. So you don't break my heart or something in the near future", he added jokingly.  
  
Encouraged by her speechlessness, he persisted with his attempt at telling her how much he cared for her.  
  
"I can't explain what you mean to me, but I can say that it affects me in no way you could ever imagine. Every waking moment, you're in my thoughts and you influence me more than any other person I know."  
  
He paused. Goblins, it felt good to tell her that.  
  
Now to wait for the judgement. Lily smiled so joyfully his throat got caught in his heart.  
  
Then she brought her hand up to her mouth and kissed it gently.  
  
"If only I could answer as eloquently as you, I would never cease to tell you how much I love you in return. Verbal communication was never my strong side when it came to you."  
  
She leaned over and kissed him soundly. Her hands clutched at the front of his robes, and dazedly he held on to her shoulders for support.  
  
Lily was an amazing kisser.  
  
All her emotions went into it, and he could always sense her feelings when her lips touched his.  
  
He felt nothing but desperate love this time.  
  
As if she had no other thoughts than her affection for him.  
  
His ego was getting alarmingly big.  
  
Her hands went around his neck in that lovely manner, and when she shifted herself into his lap, his arms went to her waist.  
  
Heavenly emotions washed through them both, and Lily stopped only a second to remove James' glasses.  
  
She nuzzled in the crook of his neck, her favourite place in the world, and he placed his head on top of hers after kissing her forehead gently.  
  
They stayed in the empty Library for nearly an hour, James stroking her hair, Lily kissing his neck.  
  
The Librarian huffed and puffed a few times to show her displeasure of such, as they weren't doing enough for her to deduct points for public displays of affection.  
  
Head Boy and Head Girl were always held high in her view, but surrounded by hormones every day didn't make her more understanding towards such teenage nonsense.  
  
She shooed them out eventually.  
  
They strolled hand in hands towards Gryffindor Tower, glancing and smiling at each other.  
  
The Fat Lady smiled knowingly at them when they stopped in front of her portrait, and leaned visibly forward, as if she wanted an extra good view of a goodnight kiss she expected.  
  
The fat Lady had to turn her head eventually though, and Lily reddened when she heard a sudden gasp of "Oh my!" from the portrait.  
  
She broke her kiss with James reluctantly, and looked down at their entwined hands.  
  
James smiled to himself.  
  
He would never be embarrassed of being caught kissing Lily.  
  
He suddenly thought of something he had meant to do all evening and cleared his throat to get Lily's attention.  
  
"Er. . . Lily, love of my life, if you love me, would you please smile for me?" he asked huskily.  
  
Lily had to gulp before looking up at him again, that voice always got to the pit of her stomach in some very good way, but she wanted to have some fun with him for the moment.  
  
She gathered up her dauntless Gryffindor courage.  
  
"James dear, you know I love you, I think we cleared that matter up quite nicely just a few minutes ago, but I just can't smile. . ." she said deadpanned.  
  
No hint of a smile even.  
  
James gaped.  
  
The Fat Lady gasped.  
  
Lily looked him square in the eye, her chin set, and said clearly:  
  
"Fiddlesticks."  
  
The portrait hole opened.  
  
James stumbled in a few seconds after her.  
  
"What the ruddy hell do you mean, you won't smile?!" he asked exasperatedly.  
  
The Common Room sniggered as one. The Gryffindor seventh years were just too much. It's like they were some 24-hour show.  
  
"No profanity in front of the first years, James", she reprimanded before leaning over and giving him a breath-taking kiss again.  
  
But still no smile.  
  
"Ah! Come on! You can't just leave me now! Who am I supposed to ask if YOU won't smile?!"  
  
"Goodnight, James." She turned on the steps and started walking up towards the Girls dormitory.  
  
James groaned.  
  
* A/N: MORE REVIEWS FOR MERLIN'S SAKE! Next chapter: James' turn AGAIN? Who will he ask now?  
  
Disclaimer: J.K Rowling owns 9 and ¾ of it. "Dame" is lady/woman in Norwegian. I know it's something female in British as well, but I am referring to the Norwegian translation. 


End file.
